Responsibilities
by A.C. Castle
Summary: Spoilers for 3x24! One-shot this is taken place right after the shot, they're all in the hospital dealing with everything, specially Rick who was her partner, the one that needed to take care of her... T just in case!


**Hi! i know there probably like 345426243462 fics about the moments after the shot and all that, but i had to get this out of my mind so i could continue with my New beginnings Universe. Until i began to write this i couldn't think of anything for that story o.o...**

**Anyways, i know this is probably not how it's going to happen, but hey... a gal can dream, right? **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Castle...**

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><p>Everyone assumed he was the one that could take care of her, but when it came down to it, he couldn't protect her from that bullet.<p>

Rick Castle was in the hospital, waiting to hear from the doctors on Beckett's surgery. When he was young he didn't care much about hospitals, the few times he was in one he liked to observe people and come up with stories of why they had been there. After Alexis he hated hospitals, not so much the hospital per say but the emergency room. It created an anger deep within him that he didn't recognized as his own. It all began when Alexis was a toddler, maybe 3 or 4, and she had fallen from a swing. She hadn't broken anything but her leg was bleeding pretty badly and she was crying like there was no tomorrow. Since it was near Halloween the emergency room was full, the nurses kept them waiting for over two hours, it made him hate hospitals. Now he had been waiting for almost 8 hours in a room with the people he cared most in this world, except for the one he loved that was currently fighting for her life, and all of them were still wearing the clothes from Montgomery's funeral, which created a really dark atmosphere.

He was dressed in scrubs, Lanie had arranged for a change of clothes since his were covered with Kate's blood.

Thank the heavens the bullet had missed the heart; it had given the paramedics time enough to get her to the nearest hospital and to the doctors time to work on her. Everyone was on the waiting room: his mother and Alexis, Lanie, Esposito, Ryan and Jenny.

Josh didn't answer his cell, he must have had like 5 missed calls from Lanie by now and neither knew where he worked. Still, there was someone else missing; Jim Beckett was still a no show. Rick was considering calling him again to see if he needed a car or plane or whatever means necessary to get there as soon as possible, when he heard his name being called. He jerked his head to where the sound was coming from and an immediate feeling of relieve and guilt flooded his heart.

"Rick"

"Sir" – he said standing up to shake the man's hand

"How is she?"

Rick guided him to a chair to explain the little he knew.

"She is still in surgery, the doctors said that the bullet missed the heart but she still had some serious damage, they're doing the best they can"

He stopped so Jim could take in all the information before he continued.

"I'm sorry"

Rick couldn't meet the man's eyes.

"For what are you sorry Rick?"

"When she was saying the eulogy I was standing pretty close to her, I saw a blink of light, twice. At first I didn't think much of it, but then my brain clicked. By the time I got to her, the shot had been made. I couldn't protect her. I'm her partner, I'm sorry"

A single tear rolled down his cheek, he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to Jim. He didn't seem mad at him.

"For what I understand, you saved her from being hit in the heart. If you haven't been there she would have died right there, now she is fighting for her life. So, thank you, for giving her a chance to fight"

"Please, don't thank me sir. I should have protected her, it was my job"

"But you did, the best you could"

"He is right, kiddo"

Neither man had realized Martha was behind them the whole time.

After a brief introduction, Martha continued.

"I was there, remember? Nobody noticed the shooter but you. If you hadn't push Kate when you did, we wouldn't be here"

"But…"

"No buts here, Richard. I'm your mother and I'm telling you, there was nothing neither of us could do, and she is alive and fighting, now attend her father and go buy something to eat, it will clear your head a little"

"No. I'm sorry, but I'm not leaving until I know she is ok"

The determination on his features was enough to convince both Martha and Jim that he wouldn't move.

"I'll go, dad, I need to do something or I'll go crazy" – said Alexis, quietly.

"Thank you pumpkin" - he said with a grateful smile.

"I'll accompany her, we'll bring something to everyone" – said Jim, standing up.

When they left Rick turned to her mother.

"I told her I loved her, she just looked at me and barely smiled before she lost consciousness"

"Oh, Richard"

She held his hands between hers; his tears ran freely this time.

"I should've told her sooner"

"Listen to me, boy, - she tilted his chin with one hand to meet his eyes – you will tell her when she wakes up. You can't afford to lose another chance"

He nodded almost imperceptibly and Martha hugged him like if he were a little boy.

Two more hours later they had eaten some sandwiches and awful coffee from the cafeteria coffee when a doctor appeared, removing the mask from his face.

"Family of Kate Beckett?" – He asked to the no one in particular.

All eight of them rise up and went to the doctor, they surrounded him, Jim took one more step that the others.

"I'm her father, Jim Beckett"

"Hi, I'm Daniel Nikos; I was the one that performed the surgery. Well Mr. Beckett, your daughter is one hell of a fighter. The surgery went better than expected and she is in recovery. We induced a coma so that her lung could heal properly, don't worry its pretty standard for cases like this, it will help her heal faster and prevent any unnecessary risks. You can visit but two at a time and someone can stay with her overnight to keep her company until she awakes, one of the nurses will tell you where her room is"

"Thank you so much doctor" – said Jim, tears threatening to fall.

The very tall, European looking, doctor smiled kindly and shook everyone's hand before leaving, saying goodbye with a solemn nod.

After the departure of Dr. Nikos they all felt like they could breathe again and a weight was lifted from their shoulders. Rick went to look for a nurse to inform him of the number of the room and that all of the medical bills were covered by him. Once that was done he let the others know and agreed that Jim was the one that needed to enter first.

After about half an hour later he exited the room and indicated that Rick went in second, but he politely refused, he wanted to be last. Lanie and Esposito entered instead, followed by Ryan and Jenny, and Martha and Alexis.

It was after 2 a.m. when the visits ended, except for Castle. After talking it over with Jim they agreed that Rick was staying with Kate. Rick had insisted that it should be Jim staying but the older man had insisted that Kate would want Rick there.

All seven of them left to get some rest with the promise of been back in the morning and if to call if anything happened. Rick was left alone and entered the room where Kate was staying. The view shocked him, she was hooked to a tube that was currently breathing for her, she was pale and her hair was a mess. The only sound was the breathing machine and the beep that indicated that her heart was still working.

He sat down on a small chair next to the bed and held her hand between both of his. The emotions he had been holding up came crashing down on him and he wept like a child, he rested his forehead on her hand and simply let the tears fall, thanking the universe, God, whoever was up there that his Kate was alive. He felt asleep in that position.

A few days later she had been taking out of the induced coma. Josh had finally been reached and went to visit her once she was awake. He had a brief conversation with her and left, nobody had seen him since.

Rick was staying with her at nights when she was in a coma but when she had woken up he insisted that Jim should be the one staying.

It wasn't until two weeks later that Rick was left alone long enough to talk to her, almost every officer in the 12th had come sooner or later to visit, and he suspected that it had been a plot between his mother and Kate's dad. They had grown very close, sharing stories of their kids and all.

He entered the room with a knock and smiled at the sight. She wasn't pale anymore and there was only an IV connected to her. No more tubes and expensive machines. She smiled back at him.

"Hey, Castle"

"Hi"

He sat down on the now very familiar chair and looked at her like she was the only thing on the universe for him to see.

She extended her hand and he took it, intertwining his fingers with hers.

"Kate, I still can't believe I almost lost you. I don't know what…"

"Hey, hey, shh, don't worry Rick, - she said squeezing his hand – I'm not going anywhere"

After a brief pause, which Castle was using to man up, he spoke:

"Listen, Kate, Do you remember what happened right after you were shot?"

"Some things, yeah"

His eyes widened, could she remember?

"Ehm, what exactly do you remember?"

"Before it all went dark; you face, you looked so worried, and…"

For a flash he saw her eyes widened, she remembered, she had to, otherwise she wouldn't have made that face.

"Kate, what I said, I meant it. I…I love you and I know you're with…"

"No, I'm not. I realized that he wasn't the one"

"I'm sorry Kate"

He squeezed their hands and showed her an apologetic look.

"Don't be, it hadn't been working for a while and it wasn't fair to any of us"

"I'm still sorry"

She smiled at him before a long silence took over the room.

"Oh, and, Rick" – she said with a smile on her face

"Yes?"

"I love you, too"

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><p><strong>Tadda! :D yeaah that's so not going to happen... Mr. Marlowe is mean that way...<strong>

**Oh, and all of the medical stuff comes from E.R and Grey's so... probably not true... but since we don't know where she was shot and all... i took liberties :D **

**Please Review :D!**

**~AC**


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